


Promises

by ToTheMax



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: ANGST TIME, Lowl in the music room what trauma will they share, M/M, im so tired and lowl is my lifeblood right now, ocxcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21567778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheMax/pseuds/ToTheMax
Summary: Louis and Owl have a nice night-time chat before Owl's lookout shift in the morning.
Relationships: Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

> So like, nobody will probably get this unless ur in my discord chat lmao. Owl is my oc who I ship with Louis, and I wanted to write them being soft and intimate so here u go, it's out in the world

Owl's soft clapping blended with the final note Louis struck on the piano, and his eyes were still alight with the energy he fed off of coming from Louis.

"How's that for a night time melody?" Louis boasted, taking his fingers off the keys and settling his hands over the lapels of his jacket with a satisfied smirk.

Owl was clearly pleased, as shown by his eager nod and stuck-out tongue. The softness of his dual-toned eyes showed his tiredness after a long day's work. The two had decided to spend a little time in the music room before bed, despite Owl having early morning lookout duty. It was alright, he was typically an early riser, although his namesake denied such.

Louis was glad he was able to make the boy smile. It was undeniable that, in the past three months he's been at Ericson's, there was _something_ starting to grow between them. Whether it be just a close friendship or something more, he wasn't sure yet. 

What he was sure of is that he loved that damn smile. _Especially_ when he stuck his tongue out like a happy puppy. As he turned back to the piano, he had an idea.

"Hey, why don't you take one of your music boxes out? We could have a duet." He gave a sideways nod with a hum. "Well-- you know. Your music, and my music. Not so much voices. One last song before we hit the hay."

Owl's tongue hung past his lips for just another moment before he nodded. A quick dig into his backpack produced his beautifully-carved wooden box, and inside was a windup key with his assortment of music boxes he'd crafted himself. He hesitated, looking at the box of old memories, his only functional eye starting to stare into space.

Louis's smile faded as he saw this. "Owl?" He hummed, gently nudging his shoulder with his hand. "You good?"

Owl barely snapped out of it, only jerking his head back as he rested his fingers delicately on one of the music boxes. The worn letters on top of the box brought back a flood of memories.

Louis leaned over Owl's shoulder for a moment as he saw the letters on the box he picked up. " _TUB_ ? You… named one of your songs _TUB?"_ Owl nodded once. "Like… like a bathtub?"

Owl's once sad eyes suddenly lit up with a laugh as he stifled a snicker behind his hand. He waved his hand in a _no, silly!_ motion. He took the windup key, his face softening to become more somber as he wound the box up.

The song that came from the little box was high toned and cheery, but Owl's smile was gone, staring at the box and obviously lost in thought. One of his hands reached up to grasp at the red-plaid bandana on his neck.

Louis wanted to start playing on the piano, but he was so lost in the melody and Owl's expression that he didn't want to ruin the song. He paid more attention when Owl started doing some sign language with shaky hands. Louis interpreted it as best he could with what knowledge he taught him about ASL.

"This is a shorter version of a song you know… it means a lot." Owl nodded and tugged at the bandana on his neck, swallowing hard. 

Louis didn't get the hint, and Owl sighed, leaning forward to lay his chin on crossed arms on the piano, right in front of the box as he hummed along. He blinked back the beginnings of tears, which made Louis frown. 

"Owl… are you okay?" Louis hesitantly asked, scooting over on the piano chair just the smallest of inches. He dipped his head to try and catch Owl's eye, worry clouding his face.

Owl leaned back from the music box with a sigh, trying again to convey his message. He reached up and patted at the bandana around his neck with one hand, using the other to trace his fingers against the edge of the music box. 

And then, Louis realized. "Oh. This is… the song you sang with your friends. Fern, Buck and Hazel, right?" Owl nodded. "And then y'all got separated."

Owl sighed and nodded again, lifting a shaky hand to spell out the name of the song. 

_Take Us Back._

"Take Us Back," Louis repeated, settling his fingers gently over the piano keys, although he didn't let a single note ring. He let Owl enjoy his melody of the past, watching his dolorous face stare intently at the little scraps of metal stringing out a tune. 

It seemed like they stayed at the piano forever when the music box finally wound down and sputtered its last notes. Owl's eyes were half-lidded but teary, evident that he'd be staying up tonight. Louis could tell just by the way he barely shifted from his position that Owl was thinking about his lost friends. 

He was so scared and alone when they found him outside the gates, and even when they offered him a seat at the table he was desperate to find them. _I need to find them,_ he would sign, _they're alone with walkers, they could be hurt._

_They could be hurt,_ He signed, fingers curling into fists once he was done. His eyes met Louis’s, desperately dolorous. 

Louis leaned into his shoulder, wrapping an arm around him. “Hey,” he said lowly, “They’re fine. If everything you told us about them is true, then they’re a-okay.” He felt Owl shudder, and then his head pressed into Louis’s shoulder. “Tell you what; how about you and me sneak out a little past the safe zone to do some scouting?”

Owl hummed curiously, sniffling.

“Well, as safe as the safe zone is, there’s gonna be a pretty slim chance they just-so-happen to stumble into it like you did. If we do just a day of looking past the safe zone, we could get a lead on them.”

Owl raised his head just the slightest bit, biting down on his tongue. He seemed to like the idea, but…

_What about Marlon?_

Louis hesitated as he processed the sign. “Uh… hm, well…” Louis shrugged as Owl settled his head back down. “Maybe we can ask really nicely. I’m sure he’ll understand, these are your friends.”

Owl sighed and shook his head. _Stubborn._

"Yeah," Louis admitted. "Marlon can be a bit cutthroat, but you know he means well. I'm sure he'll make this one exception."

_Danger._

"I know," Louis said, rubbing his back in a comforting motion. "But not only will you have me there with you, you've survived for so long outside those walls! Don't you think you can spot a walker by now?

Owl breathed in, shaky with his exhale. His hands raised again.

_S-O-P-H-_

Louis took his hand.

"Hey," he whispered, his heart swelling when he felt Owl trembling. "Don't worry about it. Okay, those guys mean the world to you." He reached his other hand to gentle run through his hair. "I want to find them as much as you do. And it's really killing me to see you so torn up about 'em."

Owl snuffed and just turned to bury his face in Louis's jacket. Louis in turn shifted to hug him completely, feeling Owl's arms wrap around his back.

"So, it won't be the end of the world if we take a little sneak to get a catch of their scent. Especially if we can find them."

They sat in silence, keeping their arms wrapped around each other. The only noise was Owl's soft sobbing against Louis's chest, and Louis's attempts at evening out his breath. They sat for so long that, it crossed Louis's mind if they could fall asleep like this. They probably could, with the emotional exhaustion that remembering what happened to him put Owl through.

After what seemed like forever, though, Owl pulled away, messily scrubbing at his face with his green sleeves. He made a simple _sorry_ motion over his chest, and when Louis looked down he noticed a wet spot on his shirt.

"It's okay," Louis whispered, his voice cracking and betraying his order to thin. 

"You're going to be okay," he assured, "and so will they. And we can prove it when we go out tomorrow and walk right past those red lines on the map. We're gonna find all of those bastards, and it's gonna be the best god damn reunion in the whole world."

His determined statement made Owl laugh, his tongue slipping past his lips for a few moments. 

He kept looking at his lap though, that is until Louis gently placed his hand upon his cheek, using his thumb to disrupt the stream of tears. Their eyes met in that moment and Louis couldn't help but crack a hopeful smile.

"I promise."

They went to bed shortly after that. Owl flopping onto his bed in his empty bed, head light and fuzzy with all kinds of thoughts. He couldn't help but smile through his tears, hiking his blanket up to his shoulders and pressing his blind eye into his pillow with a hopeful glance to the window.

Louis crept into his shared room with Marlon, closing the door ever-so-slowly and quickly diving into his bed. He did his best to get comfortable quickly. After all, he had one hell of a hunting trip once Owl got off his lookout shift tomorrow morning. He needed all the sleep he could get.


End file.
